Friday, June 22, 2012

SGB II: The Park

One of the things we loved from the first moment we first saw our first home was the proximity to the amazing park. We were literally houses away from an entrance to miles of greenbelt, playgrounds, running trails, exploring trails, etc. We didn't even have to cross a main street to get there. So perfect with our crew of kiddos.

Do you have those places? You know, the ones that you walk into and your mind's eye automatically starts a reel of family videos. You simply have to look in another direction and see a whole other set of memories. Its like a soul-flood.

In "our park", those memory-movie-reels surround me.

I can simply look toward a certain tree and smell the fun of a spring picnic.

I can look toward a certain creek bank and picture a set of miniature hiking boots caked in mud from where KJ and I used to go on "adventures".

I can look down a particular sidewalk and vividly picture a crew of blonds, at various ages, holding hands and running in front of me. Or a couple of boys who loved to "go for a run" with me as they accompanied me on their bicycles.

A glance toward a certain basketball court and I can literally hear the shouts of independence from my biggest as he first took a little "excursion" alone on his bicycle.

I can hear "happy birthday to you" literally sing itself from a pavilion where we've enjoyed many a party.

The playgrounds hold the squeals of joy from early swingers, the counting and "ready or nots" of hide-and-seek, and the brave "Momma, watch this" moments.

There is a bridge on which we stood many an afternoon. I can see my kiddos leaning over the edge, throwing rocks or sticks, looking for animals or fishing with their Daddy.

I think when I remember back to our earliest child-raising years, I'll picture this park just as much as I picture the walls of our home. Yes, this park has been the perfect place for our children to play.

and maybe its been perfect for me, too.

I can't tell you how many times I "ran away from home" into this park. (Don't worry, I always came back). A jog along those trails was usually just want the doctor ordered. I could jog along seeing and hearing and smelling the places that my children loved. WITHOUT having to be a responsible mother. Just for a few minutes. I love those escapes.

This post would be a lot harder for me if we were moving far. But we aren't.

Good news is our new home is at another end of this same park. We'll enter from a different direction, we'll be closer to a completely different set of playgrounds and we actually have to CROSS THE STREET now to get into the park (oh the injustice). BUT STILL. We aren't leaving. We'll just be filling more of the park with our family memories, creating new spots that are "ours". AND I can't wait!